Quest for the ultimate tot lot detector

[Southwind]

I've pursued this question yeas ago and thought with the new detectors out, and time, something may have risen to the top by now. Roughly 50% of my hunting is in tot lots. That being the case a really good tot lot machine is important. I've tried my fair share of different detectors and so far the Garrett AT Pro seems to do best. I've tried many and a few were sensitive to small odd shaped gold, but lacked depth. Doesn't do much good with tot lot wood chips 6-7" deep and the detector will only go 4-5" deep on small gold. Also, having a detector that can go 12" doesn't do much good if it can't see a small piece of gold like a chain or earring. Another requirement of a good tot lot detector is getting close to metal objects without the need to be changing coils all the time. Of course unless it has a snap on/off coil system. For me the AT Pro seems to have a good balance of sensitivity and depth.

While I'm happy with my AT Pro I am always on the quest for a better machine. I believe technology improvements are good and are constantly improving detector ability and that is why I'm asking once again for the experience of those in the field. Have you found the ultimate tot lot detector? Why do you feel it is better than the rest? Anyone ever use a PI in a tot lot?

Thanks

 

[matthias]

I usually use my AT Pro with 5X8 coil when I hunt totlots. I'd say I hunt totlots maybe 10% of my time. The only other detector in my arsenal I'll use here would be my DFX with SEF 6X8 coil. This detector is lethal in the chips IMO. Only pro AND con is taking the time to tweak the parameters for top performance. This is the best thing about the DFX- choose your coil and tweak your parameters and you have a great detector at almost any site. GL and HH. Matt

 

[Larry (IL)]

the coil used makes a huge difference.

My best tot lotter that I have found yet is a M6 with the Bigfoot coil. The toe of the coil can go down fence lines within an inch and around the poles of the playground equipment. I can knock out a playground in a fraction of the time it would take if I had a smaller coil on.

Of course, the Bigfoot is the key and it fits many different detectors so it is not just the M6. I have found that the Bigfoot on the V3i single frequency 7.5 works just as good and I will be using that combo from now on reducing my need for lots of detectors.

 

[Tom Slick]

I agree with Larry on the Use of the BigFoot coil. I often use the BigFoot on My V3i and M6 in large Tot Lots. Lately though I've been using the Fisher Gold Bug Pro on Tot Lots and Salt Water Beach dry sand and It's now my favorite detector in those conditions.

 

[BH_Landstar_]

I found that the X-Terra 705 with one of the 18.75kHz coils works well for tot lots. It has the depth too.

 

[plidn1]

Finding the right tot lot detector has a lot to do with area and how they are constructed.
Here in Sacramento, we have sand lots, wood chips and a few with wood chips with pea gravel underneath.

Most of the new lots have a mat 6" to 8" under the chips and some of the mats are metallic. If that isn't bad enough to conquer, now they are replacing the wood chips with ground up tires. They don't bother removing the shreds of steel belt, valve stem etc. Makes for a real challenge.

I started hunting tots with my MXT with a 6 3/4" coil. It really cleaned them out. I even found 3 silver rings in one hole under a swing. They were at 5", 7", and the last at 11".
Then I started using a compadre. I personally like it best. With our very mild ground I can get 7" (+on a gift day). For the most part it serves the purpose best.
If I hit a tot that appears to not have been worked in a long time or ever, and is very productive with no mat, I will grab my MXT. Otherwise the Padre will do as good or better then most. I hit the tots on a regular basis and once I work it compleatly the first time, afterwards nothing is very deep.

 

[prodrigsr]

 

[BarberBill]

Well, I see, as usual each responder considers what they use as the "best". I'm partial to any decent machine with a 5 to 7" coil. I've never needed a display in a tot lot so Iean (on the bargain price end) to the Compadre or any of the Tesoro umax detectors with either the 5.75" or 7" coil. Best? Darned if I know, but it works for me.
BB

 

[slingshot]

I've pursued this question yeas ago and thought with the new detectors out, and time, something may have risen to the top by now. Roughly 50% of my hunting is in tot lots. That being the case a really good tot lot machine is important. I've tried my fair share of different detectors and so far the Garrett AT Pro seems to do best. I've tried many and a few were sensitive to small odd shaped gold, but lacked depth. Doesn't do much good with tot lot wood chips 6-7" deep and the detector will only go 4-5" deep on small gold. Also, having a detector that can go 12" doesn't do much good if it can't see a small piece of gold like a chain or earring. Another requirement of a good tot lot detector is getting close to metal objects without the need to be changing coils all the time. Of course unless it has a snap on/off coil system. For me the AT Pro seems to have a good balance of sensitivity and depth.

While I'm happy with my AT Pro I am always on the quest for a better machine. I believe technology improvements are good and are constantly improving detector ability and that is why I'm asking once again for the experience of those in the field. Have you found the ultimate tot lot detector? Why do you feel it is better than the rest? Anyone ever use a PI in a tot lot?

Thanks

Well, I was thinking about answering your question, but I noticed your lineage of past detectors and I figure you know a heck of a lot more than me.:blush:

 

[deliveryboy]

Tesoro Compadre, hands down!!!

 

[Southwind]

I've got a Compadre but it just doesn't have the depth I need in some cases. Some of my tot lots have wood chips as deep as 10" and the testing I've done puts it out of reach of the Compadre. In fact only the more recent drops were shallow with the good heavy stuff being at the bottom. I've even found using the 5x8 on the AT Pro doesn't get me the depth, and my personal opinion sensitivity, that the stock coil does. Also, with the Compdare being a concentric coil the detection field is very small once you get down 4-5" making it so easy to miss something unless you literally spend hours combing every inch. I just don't have that kind of time.

I did some testing, pictures and video to give you an idea of what I'm up against. This first picture is one of our typical tot lots that I've pull a heck of a lot of gold out of.

Here is a picture showing the depth of the chips. Nothing but dirt at the bottom. Only 1 tot lot here in town has the black mat at the bottom.

Video testing some gold in that tot lot

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcZzgB7qxsA[/video]

 

[Hombre]

Good video Terry,

I wonder how the new 8" Compadre would have done on the test, much better I'd bet. I've owned the 5.75" and 7" versions of the Compadre and the 7" was deeper by about an inch and a half.

I have run both the 5.75" and 7" versions of the Compadre in "all-metal" in the tot lots and had better depth, even at "iron" rejection it cut down on depth.

I sold both of my Compadres and I'm now using the older version, the Amigo ll with the 7" coil, this one is a little hotter than either of my former Compadres and yes, I run it in "all-metal".

My suggestion is to try the test again with the Compadre in the lowest disc. setting of "all-metal" I guarantee it will do much better.

 

[BarberBill]

Often, it's worth pulling the face plate on a Compadre and tweaking the sensitivity pot. Was worth the effort on my 7" model. As far as tot lots go, to me they are one of the best detecting choices for fairly quick, easy hunts that often produce more than you'd expect.
BB

 

[mudpuppy]

The F70 with 11"dd is my primary totlotter. I run a light sens and get right up to the poles, listen for some unusual overload or an interruption of the overload signal, I run in DP tones, which assigns a different tone to every number on the scale from 1 to 100...A guy can distinguish by tone a dime from a Q for instance, or a zinc penny from a copper one.. a zipper from a gum wrapper, etc... I can hear and accurately tell what the target is without looking at the screen, which makes it one fast broom in this department..Also, with the large coil, I can jack up the sens and quickly sweep the mains...it will hit deep coins in the wet chips, handles hot gravel totters acceptably, fearsome in the sand and is very fast speed sweeper of totlots and sportsfields...

That said, I have an AtPro with stock coil also, but use that for beach and water hunting..it has never seen a totlot yet or dirt for that matter.
One thing thats cool about the pair, they both use the same batteries, so when they are "dead" on the Pro, I take them out and put them in the 70 and get another 10hrs on them. In conjunction, they have both conspired to make me a better hunter, I have found the unique strengths of each are a benefit to the user, sort of like an archer switching back and forth from a recurve to a compound, one builds up your speed and instinctive shooting, and the other builds up your muscles and aim ...they truly complement the most that the year has to offer depending upon the weather and the situation...I've found a ton of coins with the 70, have 3 years on it, only 1 year on the Pro, both have found me good gold and silver.
I love smokejumping totters and banging out furious clad/jewelry in as short a time as possible, so, if you want to add a killer dynamic to your Pro, you might want to look at the F70 or something similar?

I think the perfect machine for my style of hunting would be a waterproof to 20' F70...I sure love those DP tones , speed, lightweight., and battery life. Not gonna get rid of the Pro at all though...love it for what it was intended to do, its a right pissah for sure!
Mud